Combination steaming and pressing iron



Y Marel; 13, 1945. F, E WOLCOTT mL 2,371,569

COMBINATIONv STEAMING AND PRESSING IRON Filed April 14, 1941 v INVENToRs. f77/NVK E. WOL C077'.

OU/5 V. LUC/lq BY f Patented Mar. '13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT, .OFFICE CODIBINA'IION STIANG AND PRE'SSING Frank E. Wolcott and Louis V. Lucia, West Hartford, Conn., assignors to The Silex Company', Hartford; Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 14, 1941, Serial No. 388,384` claims. (Clas-17) This invention relates to combination steaming and pressingirons and more particularly to that class of such irons from which steam isejected directly upon the workbeing ironed and such as described in United States Letters Patent 2,309,427, title Combination pressing and steam-A In this class of steaming irons, the passage of steam which is preferably generated 'within the body of the iron, is controlled by means'of a valve so that the said steam may be ejected either upon the surface of thework being ironed. or into the atmosphere so as to permit the work to be A further object is to provide means for catching and evaporating, directly in the iron-itself, any condensate that may be formed.

A still lfurther object of our'invention is to provide improved bafiling means for preventing the excessive passage of water into the steam chamber within the iron.

Further objects 0i our invention will be more clearly understood from the following descrip-4 tion and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 isa Asidevview, partly `in central vertical section, `of an electric steaming iron embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of only the member comprising the bod-,v of the iron. v,

Fig. 3 is a view of a portion thereof incentral vertical section.

electric heating element 9 which is' connected to an electric circuit by means of an electricv conductor I0.

The top of said container 6 is provided with an opening II that is sealed by means of a cover plate I2 on which is mounted the handle I3 of the iron. The said cover plate contains a steam passage I4 therein, for directing steam from'the steam chamber 8 to a valve containing a plug I5 whereby the passage of said steam may'be controlledso as to be directed either into the atmosphere, through an exhaust passage or duct I6, or .downwardly through the passage I1l and into the `steam distributing chamber I8, from which it is ejected through jet openings I9 upon the surface oi .the material being ironed` The container 6 is cast in one piece to provide 4a partition 20 between the water chamber 1 andthe steam chamber 8. This partition has openings 2| therethrough that are baiiied by means of a baille plate 22 which overlies said openings and is retained in position thereover by means of a screw 23 that is threaded into the bridge portion 2l separating the openings 2I.

In the operation of the iron, the heating element 9,- being energized, will heat water in the water chamber 1 and thereby generate steam which will pass upwardly through the openings 2| and into the steam chamber 8. Any water which may be carried by said steam or splashed by. the movement of the iron, will be separated -from the steam when it strikes the baille plate 22; the

pending upon the position of the plug I5 which has been selected. v

When the steam is ejected through the passage Il into the atmospherel there is a. tendency for A Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary view, on an enlarged l condensate to form at the mouth of said passcale and in central vertical section, showing the steam separator and condensate reservoir provided by our invention.

, Fig. 5 is a front view thereof.

sage, due to the lower temperatureof the iron structure at this point and to the steam striking .the colder air. In order to prevent said condensate from being thrown from the iron onto As shown in the drawing, a steaming-iron emthe surface of the work being ironed, we' provide a steam separator consisting of a separating bodying our invention may comprise a sole plate I on which is mounted a body member in the form oi a container I having a water chamber 1 and a steam chamber. l therein.

zcntal lower wall portion upon which condensate i The said container is heated by means of an u, 'may sravitate. The said chamber is partly closed by a cover in the form of a washer 28 that is preferably seated against a shoulder 28-a at the iront of said chamber and held in position by swaging the metal as at 29. The said washer is provided with an inwardly extending flange 30 that is notched, as at 3|, to provide a horizontal passage for draining condensate from the said lower wall portion of the separating chamber 21.

In order to collect the condensate dropping from the condensate outlet, we providev a reservoir 32 in the top ofthe body member 6 and directly under the said outlet.

The operation of our invention is as follows. A

When the valve l5 is selectively positioned to eject the steam into the atmosphere through the passage it, any condensate formed by contact with the walls of the said passage wiil be caught by the surface of the plate or Washer 28, surrounding the flange 30 and indicated at 33, as the said condensate is carried outwardly by the movement of the steam through the separating chamber 21. The said condensate will then gravitate around the flange 30, still against the said surface 33,

nntilit settles upon the bottom of the separating chamber 21. From there, it will pass outwardly through the passage 3i and drop into the reserfvoir 32. When the condensate has entered this reservoir it will be retained therein until evaporated .therefrom by the heat in the body member I.

Our improved steam separating means also serves to minimize the condensation of the steam,

as it passes through the exhaust passage I6, for the reason that the enlarged chamber 21 prevents the jet of` passing steam from contacting the wall of the exhaust passage at a point nearest to the mouth thereof, where it is coldest and where most vof the condensation would be caused; the central opening through the washer 28 being so short that a minimum amount of surfaceis contacted by the steam as it passes therethrough.

From the above description it will be-clearly lunderstood that'we have provided novel and efficient means for eliminating the ejection of steam condensate from a steaming iron, and that the particular embodiment of the said invention, as disclosed hereinrmay be modified to a greater or lesser extent without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. We claim: 1. A combination steaming and pressingviron o! the character described comprising a steam chaxnbe a steam duct leading from said chamber into the atmosphere, and means adjacent the mouth of said duct for causing condensate and steam to be discharged separately therefrom; said means including a substantially horizontal lower wall portion in said duct upon which condensate said passage and retaining the same to be evapo,

' water heating chamber, a steam chamber and an may gravitate, and a horizontal passage adjacent to said wall portion to permit drainage of said condensate.

2.'A combination steaming and pressing iron.

-for collecting said condensate to be evaporated therein.

3. In a steaming iron of the character described comprising a sole plate,.a body member having a steam chamber therein and an opening infthe top thereof, a cover sealing said opening. a steam passage in said cover for expelling steam from saidsteam chamber into the atmosphere. and a reservoir including a recess in the top of said body member and underlying the mouth of said steam passage for collecting condensate from rated therein. r

4. A steaming iron of the character described including a sole plate, a body member having-a opening in said body, a cover sealing said opening, a steam passage in said cover communicating said steam chamber with the atmosphere, means in said passage for separatingcondensate from steam passing therethrough, and a recess in the top of said body member in heat conducting relation with said steam chamber and underlying the mouth of said steam passage for collecting condensate therefrom and retaining the same to be evaporated in said recess.

v5. In a steaming iron 4comprising a container 40 having a water chamber and a steam chamber communicating therewith and means for heating said water to generate steam therefrom; the combination of a baille plate between said steam chamber and water chamber, a steam passage communicating with said steam chamber, a steam exhaust passageopening into the atmosphere, steam conduit means communicating with steam iets in the bottom of said iron. a valve for selectively communicating said steam passage either with said exhaust passage or steam conduit means, means at the mouth of said exhaust passage for preventing condensate on the wall of said passage from being expelled from said iron with the steam, and a reservoir comprising a well in the top of said container for collecting FRANK' E. vvopoo'nr.l Loors v. LUCIA. 

